The construction industry has been evolving since cavemen walked the earth.  Modern science has improved every aspect of building and new standards continue to evolve.  LEED is one of the latest benchmarks of quality for construction projects.
The non profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), defines and governs the LEED standards.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.   Projects are rated and certified through an approval process governed by the Green Building Certification Institute at several levels.   LEED certification for a project means more costs up front but less costs for the ongoing operation of a building.  A common mosconception is
that a LEED certified building will have a zero carbon footprint.  That would be nice but a LEED certification
tells everyone that the materials and processes meet the guidelines of LEED certification.

Extensive reading, studying and testing go into becoming LEED certified.
Read the History of LEED in 5 minutes here LEED Wiki
Read the USGBC information here   www.usgbc.org 
Read the GBCI information here    www.gbci.org

Take a load off Texas in the ONCOR service area starting June 21st!  The hugely successful program quickly ran out of funds and has announced a new round of funding.

The program accepts businesses and residential customers located in the vast Oncor service area and served by an “ONCOR meter.”  This leaves coops out of the opportunity.

From the ONCOR Website:

Solar PV systems must meet all of these criteria:

• Must be a new grid-connected solar PV system
• Must meet Oncor’s interconnection and Solar PV Program Requirements
• Must meet a minimum estimated performance threshold. Systems with excessive shading or undesirable solar panel orientation will not qualify for an incentive.

Program Incentives & Savings
The incentive level for program year 2010 is $2.25 per watt for residential and $1.75 per watt for non-residential installations. Incentives are calculated based on the total DC capacity of a solar electric system, determined by the sum of the DC capacity of all modules installed. The incentive covers up to 10 kWdc for residential customers and up to 100 kWdc for commercial, government, and nonprofit customers.

This program coupled with the federal program means a significant savings for your business or home.  Texas is blessed with a lot of sunny days and programs like this keep making Texas a brighter place to live!

Review the ONCOR Program Manual Here

Special Opportunity in  Austin Texas June 10th and 11th for a CEU qualifying class in Electrical Grounding for Wind and Solar applications.

Register to Win a Free Electrical Course in Austin Texas!
TexasSolar.com announces an immediate opportunity to win a Free Electrical Course in Austin Texas by the generous partnership with Lyncole XIT base in Torrance California.

Class is June 10th and 11th in Austin covering “best practices” for electrical protection, proper grounding system design process, ground resistance testing as well as the opportunity for hands-on soil resistivity and grounding system testing.  Attendees from both the office and field leave the course with a much better understanding due to the combination of “on the job” training and grounding design theory.

Electrical Grounding Course includes 16 hours of training covering:

• Purpose and Definition of Grounding
• Grounding System Design Process
• Soil Resistivity Testing
• Types and Characteristics of Grounding Electrodes
• Ground System Resistance Testing
• Electrical Bonding
• Exterior Grounding/Interior Single Point Grounding
• Lightning Protection
• National Electrical Code Requirements
• Electrical Surge Protection
  Course Approved for 1.8 CEUs, 16 BICSI CES Credits and 16 NETA CTDs

Signup for the drawing now, the drawing is June 8th

If you absolutely want to get fantastic training you will actually use then
GET MORE INFO AND REGISTER FOR THE CLASS at the LYNCOLE Website.

Get ready for the Live Green Expo in Plano.   April 17, 2010 

This is a FREE event with over 150 exhibitors and is probably a better family event than the Renewable Energy Stampede in Salado TX on the same day.
Check it out Saturday,  Plano Centre · 2000 E. Spring Creek Pkwy. Plano, TX 75074

>Exhibits and on-going demonstrations
>Speakers and workshops
>Fun learning activities for kids
>Musical performances

Expo Themes
Education
Energy
Food and Agriculture
Green Building & Remodeling
Indoor Air Quality
Lifestyle & Recreation
Transportation
Wast Reduction
Water

Energy tax credit raised from 10% to 30%.  This is a huge leap forward and
geothermal, solar water heaters, solar panels all qualify.
Work to caulk your office and house to seal up leaks, weather strips on the doors all count.
It is a misunderstanding that to get a rebate you have to go solar or install wind turbines.
A fresh coat of paint even helps and makes the old castle look better at the same time.
What did you do in 2009, it may qualify.  Check with your accountants.

Texas Solar, supporting energy independence for Texas!

We do this by being devoted to youth and general education of alternative energy market updates, current product solutions and upcoming technologies.  As a not for profit, 100% of the dollars raised goes to the mission. There are no employees and all work is done by diligent volunteers.

Participate in Texas Solar Society events and other events around the state.
We provide consulting to civic communities and businesses looking at energy improvements.

What do you get when you have a bunch of engineering types all thinking together?
Texas Solar, supporting energy independence for Texas!

First Solar announced production costs under 1$ per watt.  Now 11 months later the company
is going to help neighbors in New Mexico with a 22MW power exapansion project.  The installation when approved by state regulators, (a formality) will be expected to power another 7,000 New Mexico homes.  The solar foot print in New Mexico has a high “Sun Days” count and favorable climate for solar acceptance.

The new capacity is expected to go online in 2011.  This is progress and everyone hopes the regulatory hurdles and site approval will go quickly for PNM the utility company funding the project. 

About PNM

PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, N.M. PNM provides electric utility service to about 500,000 retail customers in New Mexico. PNM Resources stock is traded primarily on the NYSE under the symbol PNM. For more information, see the company’s Web site at PNM.com.

About First Solar

First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) system solutions. The company is delivering an economically viable alternative to fossil-fuel generation today. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective, renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment. For more information about First Solar, please visit http://www.firstsolar.com

In a country as large as the US deploying a national smart grid had to start somewhere.  Why not Boulder Colorado which is somewhat centrally located?  Xcel Energy has officially announced the city is online after a conversion of numerous switching stations and transformers.   This is a good start and it seems the best benefit is prediction of failures rather than massive redirection of power.   Smart sensors are monitored and fluctuations are detected by the companies specially designed software.   This provides the utility company a better early warning system so they can be proactive and avoid service interruptions.   The overall implementation helps reduce demand and distribute power where needed.  Read the press release and get more links to partner companies here. A number of competitors have smart grid technology but Xcel has the claim this is the first complete city to get smart.  Xcel Energy has the ability to scale. More projects and development are ongoing.  Xcel Energy.

You cannot stop the cold weather but you can shop solutions for your business electricty bills and your home electric bills.   There are energy brokers for commercial property who at various levels work with different utilities to see how they can get your business the best deal on electric service. Consumers can go online and switch easily.

In Texas the process for businesses is started with a form commonly called an LOA for businesses.  This letter of authorization allows the broker access to your electric usage info, demand info etc..   This is then used by the broker to submit for compeitive bids on your behalf.  The energy brokers service is free to you.  The brokers can get a better deal than you can when you have a real broker working for you.  They have relationships with the utilities and because they bring opportunity in volume get a better offer than you get.    The broker’s service is often free as the winning electric company compensates the broker for locating a qualified customer.  Everyone wins!

Ask questions before submitting a web form for free audits and that type of marketing approach.  If they tell you that after submitting your information several interested companies will call you then you don’t have a real broker, move on to the next company. An example of a company that is basically a lead bank who hands your information off is Save On Energy.

The broker should be spending the time and bring you a couple of choices, not have you in the position of fielding a bunch of phones calls from utilities who got your name from a lead passed off by an energy marketer.  The broker will save you time and money.  An example of a genuine electricty broker is Evolving Energy Systems.

If you want to get involved in a earning money selling electricty with low investment then check out Igntiebiz.biz You can be your own customer and make money with others also.  If you just want to exercise your power to choose an electric provider and have the option of 100% green electricity then visit Texas Solar Power, have your electric bill handy and click Enroll for Service and click the green and clean plan.

The first wind generator in the Tyler-Lindale area was raised February 28, 2006.

We are Michael and Nancy Nichols, small business owners. We were awarded a grant from the USDA Rural Development to install a windmill to provide electrical power for our company. Michael Nichols has always been interested in harnessing the power of wind for energy, “With the rise in utility costs, it is wonderful that our government has the foresight to support environmentally friendly projects such as this.”

Unused power is supposed to be bought by the utility company, which was the original agreement back in 2006. The reality is that ONCOR and TXU have created one roadblock after another, but that is another story.

GENERAL INFORMATION: We have a 10 kW BWC Excel, America’s most popular residential & small business wind turbine. The BWC EXCEL is a modern 6.7 meter (22 ft) diameter, 10,000W wind turbine designed for high reliability, low maintenance, and automatic operation in adverse weather conditions. It is available in two configurations: battery charging and grid-connected. It is a ruggedly built turbine that comes with the longest warranty (5 years) in the industry. Connected to the grid, the BWC EXCEL can provide most of the electricity for an average total electric home at moderate wind sites. The all new GridTek 10 power processor (inverter) is the most advanced in the industry and it carries a full UL certification to the latest utility standards. Prices, which include a voltage regulator, pump controller, or a line-commutated inverter, range from $19,900 to $24,750. The BWC EXCEL is most often installed on a guyed lattice tower, which is available in heights of 18 m (60 ft.) to 37 m (120 ft.). Prices range from $6,200 to $9,200. Tilt-up versions of these towers are available for sites without crane access. Non-guyed lattice type towers and monopoles (tapered tubular) towers are also available to heights of 37 m (120 ft). The BWC EXCEL was introduced in 1983 and it has been installed at over 900 sites around the world.

FYI from Nancy: Government grants are complicated. Mike Bergey with Bergey Windpower helped me a lot, but Mike and I still spent 100 hours putting this grant together. You may as well figure that you have to put up $50K at the onset. The grant reimburses 25%. Your business or farm should depreciate the rest so you have that tax savings. Compared to other parts of the country, Texas has few incentives for wind power at this time. East Texas does not have a lot of wind but we believe that there is enough wind here to provide for our business, home, and farm. I must say that there is a deep sense of satisfaction and independence watching our meter spin backwards.